BOSTON -- With wins in each of its last three games, the No. 16 Northeastern men's ice hockey team opens up Hockey East play as the Huskies host Vermont in a Sunday matinee at Matthews Arena (3 p.m.).
Sunday's promotions
Fans are encouraged to wear their Halloween costume to Sunday's game for a Halloween , and kids in costume will receive $5 off their ticket at the window.
Please note: any items perceived as a weapon are prohibited in Matthews Arena. However, fans are permitted to wear masks after entering the building through security. Please review the Matthews Arena
security policies prior to your arrival at Sunday's game.
The all-time series with Vermont
The Huskies and Catamounts will square off for the 61st time in program history on Sunday at Matthews Arena. Vermont owns a 30-23-7 record against Northeastern coming into this weekend's action.
Northeastern had a record of 0-1-1 against Vermont in the 2015-16 campaign, losing 3-2 at home before a 3-3 tie on the road. In that tie, the Huskies held a 3-2 edge in the third period before surrendering the equalizer with 2:01 to play.
Nolan Stevens,
Adam Gaudette and
Matt Benning scored for NU in that game, while
Derick Roy made 22 saves.
Scouting the Catamounts
On Sunday afternoon, Vermont's captains Brendan Bradley and Mario Puskarich and assistant captains Chris Muscoby and Anthony Petruzzelli will return from their team suspensions that saw them miss the first four games of the season. Even without the majority of their leadership group, the Catamounts compiled a 2-1-1 record in their first four games of the year. They picked up a split with the Clarkson Golden Knights, winning 5-2 and losing 3-2. Vermont then traveled to the Midwest for two games with Nebraska-Omaha. After a 4-4 tie last Friday, the Catamounts skated to a 5-2 win.
Sophomore forward Craig Puffer leads the team in scoring with two goals and three assists through four games. He posted a goal and two assists in their win over Nebraska-Omaha. Junior forward Jarrid Privitera notched two assists in that win over UNO, putting him in second on the team in points with two goals and two assists. Goaltenders Stefanos Lekkas and Mike Santaguida have split time in net so far this year. Lekkas is undefeated so far in his freshman year, owning a record of 1-0-1. Santaguida, who was a finalist for the Mike Richter Award in 2014-15, holds a 1-1-0 record so far this season.
Huskies in Hockey East openers
Northeastern is in its 33rd season in Hockey East, and owns a 13-13-6 (.500) mark all-time in Hockey East openers. Sunday will mark the third straight season that NU has opened the Hockey East slate against Vermont.
There's no place like home
Sunday marks the fourth of five straight home games for NU, the longest regular season home stretch since the 2010-11 season.
The Huskies are 12-0-1 in their last 13 games at Matthews Arena, dating back to last season, the longest home winning streak in team history. It's 11-game home winning streak overall is also the longest such streak in program history.
In those games, NU is outscoring opponents 58-25 and converting on the power play 33% of the time (22-of-67).
Prior to the current streak, NU also had home unbeaten streaks of nine games on two occasions: Dec. 5, 1985 - Jan. 11, 1986 (8-0-1) and Jan. 30, 1975 - Dec. 1, 1976 (8-0-1). Northeastern's longest home winning streak stands at eight games, which was accomplished during the 1983-84 season.
Out of the gates
Zach Aston-Reese (four goals, six assists),
Adam Gaudette (four goals, five assists) and
Dylan Sikura (one goal, eight assists) are all enjoying hot starts to the season, ranking in the top-ten in the nation in scoring.
Northeastern is the only team in the nation with three skaters ranked in the top-ten.
Drawing first blood
After being held without a first period goal in its opening weekend series at Quinnipiac, Northeastern has potted 11 goals in the first period in the four games since, more than 25% of their total in 41 games last season.
The Huskies' 11 goals in the opening frame are the third most in the nation entering this weekend's games.
Born in the USA
This year's Northeastern roster features 25 student-athletes who hail from the United States, as well as three from Canada. It is the most Americans that the Huskies have had on their roster since the 2006-07 season, when they had 29.
Across college hockey, 66% of Division I are from the United States, 30% from Canada and 4% from Europe (82 players from 13 countries).
Shots, shots, shots
Northeastern hasn't had trouble putting the puck on net during its opening six games, averaging 36.17 shots per game, the third highest average for a team through the first six games. The Huskies are also outshooting their opponents by an average of 13.17 shots per game, the highest average through the first six games.
Individually, sophomore
Adam Gaudette leads the nation with 6.67 shots on goal per game, including a career-high 10 at Quinnipiac on Oct. 8.
Get in front of it
A contributing factor to Northeastern's low shots against total has been the shot blocking abilities of the skaters in front of
Ryan Ruck. NU has blocked 77 shots in six games, ranking tied for 17th in the nation. Freshman
Jeremy Davies leads the team, and is tied for sixth in the nation, with 17 blocks.
Recapping Saturday's win vs. Arizona State
Northeastern received goals from six different scorers, including three from defensemen, and used a 49-22 shots advantage to complete the weekend sweep of Arizona State on Saturday night at Matthews Arena, 6-1.
After the Sun Devils struck first with a goal from Robbie Baillargeon 7:37 into the game, the Huskies responded with the game's final six goals, including three in a span of four minutes in the opening frame.
Adam Gaudette,
Nolan Stevens,
Garret Cockerill,
Eric Williams,
Lincoln Griffin and
Jeremy Davies all scored over the course of the night for the Huskies, while
Brendan Collier contributed a career-high three assists.
Ryan Ruck made 21 stops in goal for Northeastern in his six straight start, while Robert Levin was peppered throughout the contest for Arizona State, finishing with 43 saves. NU was 2-of-7 on the man advantage while the Husky penalty killing unit held ASU to an 0-of-8 showing.
Poll position
The Huskies jumped one spot to No. 16 in the USCHO.com poll (16th) and is the first team receiving votes in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll. NU was ranked 15th in the USCHO.com preseason poll, the highest that Northeastern's been ranked to start a season since the poll began in 1997.
Hall call
David Archambault (class of 1980) will be inducted into the Northeastern University Varsity Club Hall of Fame on November 10. He was a star in the 1980 Beanpot, helping the Huskies to their first-ever Beanpot victory, while winning MVP honors in the tournament. Northeastern beat Boston University, 6-5, in overtime in the first round, followed by a 5-4 overtime upset of Boston College in the finals. Archambault played over 40 minutes in each game and has been elected into the Beanpot Hall of Fame for his outstanding performances.
Archambault was twice voted as the Most Valuable Player of the Northeastern hockey program. The standout defenseman was also a co-captain for two years. In his three years on the hockey team (1977-80), Archambault played in 81 games and tallied 41 points.
The road ahead
Northeastern continues league play next weekend when the Huskies host rival No. 4/4 Boston University in a home-and-home set, beginning on Friday night at Matthews Arena (7 p.m.) before moving down the street to Agganis Arena on Saturday.
